They have taken the player’s agent’s claim that Lazio will not move for the out-of-favour Italian as reason enough to link him once again with an Etihad switch.

While City’s defensive worries continue, much of that is down to persistent injuries. But with Joleon Lescott likely to move on in the near future, Manuel Pellegrini is likely to move for a fourth central defender to compete with Vincent Kompany, Matija Nastasic and Martin Demichelis.

And finally, John Guidetti has hinted that a January move is on the cards as he attempts to play the regular first-team football he craves.

The striker has suffered considerably in recent times, with injuries and a debilitating illness. But now fit and ready to go, he told TV4, “I want to play football. Whether that is at Manchester City or somewhere else, I don’t know.

Vincent Ralph

After graduating with a degree in English Literature, Vincent completed a NCTJ-accredited qualification in newspaper and magazine journalism in 2005. He has worked for HITC for four years and is now Head of Editorial and Journalist Standards.